Russia pushes war in Syria to new phase

Airstrike upsets U.S.; deal may be harder to reach

New York Times

September 30, 2015Updated: September 30, 2015 11:49pm

Photo: -, Handout / AFP / Getty Images

A video grab made on September 30, 2015, shows an image taken footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria. Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Islamic State militants in Syria. AFP PHOTO / RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY
RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / Russian Defence Ministry" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS -/AFP/Getty Images

A video grab made on September 30, 2015, shows an image taken...

WASHINGTON — Russian aircraft carried out a bombing attack against Syrian opposition fighters Wednesday, including at least one group trained by the CIA, drawing angry protests from U.S. officials and pushing the sectarian war there into dangerous new territory.

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